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*Disclaimer* I would like to issue a disclaimer I try very hard not to complain or give bad reviews! I leave a lot a room for improvement during a dinner service. I even reward great service when there is lackluster food. I try to tip 20~25%. I am in no way trying to be a negative Nancy when it comes to Dining out.

Last night I used one of my last Summer of Groupons at Pacific Coast Dining Company. I went into this experience hoping that the reviews I saw were not true and that maybe it was fluke. I was wrong. Walking by the restaurant it seemed moderately busy with guest at tables along the window. We walked in and asked for a table for two. Even through, I made a reservation and was expecting the host to have a list of expecting guest. I alerted the host that I would be using a groupon that evening, already I felt as through maybe I said the wrong thing. We were seated and waited for our server. She came back over 10 minutes later and asked if he had come over to give us water. At the time he hadn’t and he came over immediately. From there everything seemed to go smoothly, he introduced himself and asked if we wanted an appetizer or salad and informed us that it did not come with the entrées. We said no that we would just order our dinner entrée. The groupon was only good for Dinner entrées and I was hoping to have some dessert at the end of the evening. He took our order and that’s when everything went downhill. We arrived at the restaurant at 7:30, we placed the order by 7:45~7:50, our meals did not come out until 8:45. There was no type of bread or Rolls while we waited. Two other couples came in and were served before us and checked on regularly by our waiter. At 8:24 pm another waiter came over to tell us that our order was never received by the kitchen and they had just put it in. Nothing was offered in terms of compensation no free salad, no free appetizers and no bread! After that the waiter went outside and his took his break as we watched the couple behind receive food, the couple at the bar received food. At 8:40, caught the attention of not our waiter but the one who alerted us that our order did not go in properly, told him as nicely as possible that we no longer wanted our meal and would be leaving. He kindly replied let me talk to the manger and give me on minute. He came back and said our food was being plated. I felt bad and didn’t want to be a problem, so I agreed to at least try, maybe the food would be good and I could forgive them. The food came out hot but when you see the pictures of what they served us it was unpleasant.

*Disclaimer* I misread the menu they have two dishes with blackened chicken and I accidently ordered the one with bacon. I have not eaten beef or pork in over 10 years. I actually have gotten sick from eating items with either item in it.

My friend order Shrimp Scampi which they should be disciplined for serving spaghettis with Crushed Parmesan Cheese as Shrimp Scampi. I will be honest they had huge, pretty shrimp on the pasta but it had a bad odor. The Shrimp tasted like salt! In addition, the sauce was not an opulent creamy white, but a putrid brown that appeared to be more water than cream. The noodles were undercooked and not al dente undercooked but like dropped in water until it looks limp, than plated. She actually gaged a little trying to eat the first bite. I ordered the Blackened Chicken Risotto; I meant to order the Blackened Chicken Penne pasta. The risotto apparently had bacon. But either way it did not look appetizing the bacon was the extra fatty piece of and it had a huge piece of onions. The other vegetables look like they poured a can of Del Monte mixed veggies into the risotto. The chicken was small and didn’t look as if it was blackened at all. The risotto was watery and not creamy; it looked like they just added enough cream to make it look creamy. So after one bite all I could taste was salt, the whole plate was drenched in salt. The whole time the waiter was staring at us and asked how we did like it. He even said it looks like you don’t like you food. He offered to have kitchen redo my meal. By now it was 8:55.

Blackened Chicken Risotto

I kindly said no, and asked for the check. This is when everything went further downhill. Because I used a groupon I was automatically charged Gratuity. I asked the waiter in private to take it off cause at this point. We waited and hour and half for food, the food was nasty and no consultation was offered. I understand a mechanical error was the issue but our waiter did not tell us this he sent another waiter to tell us. While he waited on other guest and brought their food out promptly. He tried to convince me that it was automatically done for all groupons. I can understand that, but Horrible Service is Horrible Service. By the time we left I had a headache from the food. I offered it to my brother and his response was no. He never turns down food that I bring home. Overall, this is by far one of the worst restaurant experiences I have ever had. Gordon Ramsey should put this place on Kitchen Nightmares. The food was not well plated, it was thrown together and it was spiked with unnecessary amounts of Salt. It says something when my friend said you can make better shrimp

than that place. I am unsure what happened with the whole service. By 8:00 pm the place had cleared out and it was only us and two other couples. I try not to be a complainer but this is not a restaurant I will patron again. For it to be in the heart of Little Italy, I hang my head in shame for the disgusting food they severed to use. If anyone was to ask me if they should go to this restraint I would be honest and say only if you are breaking up with your significant other, you are breaking up with your jump-off or you are firing someone.

*Disclaimer* the views of this restaurant do not reflect the views of the owners of PIMT blog. This is only the opinion of one of the writers. I did not use the name of any wait staff present and omitted the day the service was completed to maintain amenity.

This past week I finally went to Sascha’s 527 located on Charles Street. I feel I should give you a little background, during my late teens and early twenties, while I was still in college. I use to work in the Inner Harbor, unlike Mitt Romney I was not able to survive off of Stocks during my college years. On most spring, summer, fall nights I walked home. Luckily, a 40 block hike gives you enough time to investigate the wonderful little restaurants, coffee shops, video stores and clubs within the city. I always would walk past Sascha’s and wonder what the food was like ( I read the city paper and would see their ads within the paper). I always saw mature adults come out, smiling and engaged in jolly conversation. I would read the specials and remind myself that I could eat there one day. Fast-Forward 8 years later and Thanks to GROUPON made that day possible. So I finally went and well was it worth the wait?

Short answer: Yes but it’s not for everybody.

Atmosphere: Once entering the restaurant, you are introduced to low soft lighting with upbeat but classic pop music playing. The artwork on the walls is eclectic. The thick red theater curtain helps reduce outside light and adds a certain appeal. The host came over and (he seemed laid back) and showed us to our table. Each table has tea light candles and summer flowers on the table. Definitely, the atmosphere is set for a romantic dinner. I was stunned by the 16 ft. columns and ceiling they just made the restaurant feel like a trendy NY restaurant. The color scheme (Deep red, beige and mute light orange) was perfect for relaxation and setting the mood. The Dress code is casual so you get a fancy meal with laid-back feel.

Food: Before we started to looking through the menu the host provides us with bread sticks. Not like the huge massively bread ones you get at olive garden but the very small dainty ones. They were perfect! I did not feel like I would over eat. The parmesan – (insert Italian spice) blend was magnificent. I loved the bread sticks to bad we only got three. After perusing the menu many of the items seemed delicious. Instead of getting entrées we decide on taste plates instead. The taste plates were all delectable but we could not order everything. My dining partner for the evening order the Shrimp & Grits Grilled Jumbo Shrimp w. Grilled Corn Grits & Andouille Nage(14.50) and Pan Seared Scallops Coriander Encrusted w. Potato Blini & Tomato Confit (10.00). I did not get to try anything from his plate. He seemed to enjoy everything, was slight disappointed about the amount of food received. However we ordered taste plates so it was the perfect amount for me. I tried the Salmon Tartare which included Cucumber, Whole Grain Dijon, and Avocado &Champagne-Tarragon Vinaigrette (8.00). My First bite and my mouth was slight on fire from the combination of tarragon, Sprouts and Dijon but after a second the coolness of the cucumber set it. The bread was not hard like I expected but soft and slightly warm. I love contrast between the warm bread and cold salmon. The champagne-vinaigrette was interesting it had a bite that seemed to enhance the other flavors. All I can say about the avocado was it there didn’t enhance nor overpower the flavor combination. Next I ordered the Fries in a Cone w. Old Bay Mayonnaise & Moroccan BBQ Sauce (5.00). I am a slut for fries I l LOVE fries. There was nothing super special about the fries except for the dipping sauces. I loved the old bay mayonnaise and felt like it should have been on a burger or a chicken sandwich. I want to make this mayonnaise from scratch and use it!!!!! The Moroccan BBQ sauce was spicy and hot and would be perfect on a grilled meat or vegetarian dish. For dessert we had the Cornmeal short cake w. fresh peaches & berries (7.50). This was the only thing I was not thrilled by the dessert it was dry, but it was cornmeal shortcake so of course it will be dry. I think it would have been awesome with a drizzle of honey along with the crème added. Also I do not think it was peaches but nectarines on the shortcake, I may be wrong. I may try to make this dessert at home. I think it would have been awesome with some honey drizzled over the fruit, berries, crème and shortcake.

Overall: I enjoyed the experience. I think this perfect place to go for a date night or special occasion (graduation, Promotion, engagement dinner, or break-up spot). This is not for everyone (non-adventurous) such as a meat and potato person. They do offer meat and potato options, but if they read through the menu they may be discourage. I loved the service, the waitress came over just enough and she was knowledgeable about the menu. Spacing may be an issue you really don’t have space for a private conversation but that what inside voices are for.

Would I go again? YES! At happy hour and next time will try an entrée and wine also taking one of my girlfriends with me.

Welcome fellow Anime LOVERS to the annual Otakon Convention. I hope you enjoy the city wonderful atmosphere and find some good places to eat. I was thinking since 80% of you will be here for three days it would be nice to know where you can get some good food that is reasonable and delicious. Last year when I attended I was hurt more Food Vendors in Baltimore did not try to lure you over for delicious food. Especially since let’s face food at the convention center is meh. So I am taking it upon myself a day late and a dollar short to suggest a few places to get your eat on!

This Friday night down in Fort McHenry Row is Baltimore own Food Truck Gathering!!!!! You will be able to cover all of your needs whether you want a burger, a unique soup, a vegan friendly meal or dessert! You can catch the circulator from the convention center to Fort McHenry Row. Use the Banner Route to get down there it’s located at the corner of Pratt and Light Street I do believe.

If you want a hookah bar with reasonable prices than head down to Federal Hill on Light Street and go to Zeeba’s Lounge. The food is good and moderately price so you won’t feel like breaking the bank but still get to enjoy Mediterranean cuisine. ( use Purple circulator)

If you head North on Charles Street Try either Joss Sushi Bar or Café or the Snack bar. I went to both place the Snack bar is perfect for otakins that want traditional meals. Plus I love the Prices nothing over $7 and they offer awesome tasting size meals. They even have a Chinese Burger which at first seems weird but its pulled pork and relish and my meat cohort, enjoyed every bit. Watch out for the Bao dishes. They even have Sanigria soda. They also have Raman(sp) ( marble soda) Try the Lotus- wrapped Rice. But stay away from the Radish Cakes they were very different, not good or bad just not my favorite item on the menu. (Use Purple Circulator)

If you head over to fells point than go to Teavolve for a laid back adult night. I love the food and service and if you are over 21 go for the Happy Hour pitcher of Sangira. Also you have the ever popular Sticky Rice down the street, but bump that Try Blue Moon Café who doesn’t love breakfast at night.

( Use Green or Orange circulator)

Feeling Adventurous, Jump on the light rail and head North to Mt. Washington to Chiyo Sushi. I talked about this place in another post and it freaking awesome. Good food, laid back atmosphere and you get to get away from the hustle and bustle of downtown. Also You can hope right back on and it drops you off right next to the convention center.

Let’s talk Dessert:

I mean it is the best part of a meal. So Here are okay 4 maybe 5 places you can try while here

Federal Hill has Midnite Confectionary and I personal enjoy their cupcakes. Some people are not fans but the mother –son team serves up sinfully delicious cupcakes that most people enjoy. Last time I went the staff was friendly!

Up the street you can also try Afters’ Café so this is my dilemma. I love the frozen yogurt but everything else is ok. So if you want frozen yogurt try them for a whirl. I mean while out and about be adventurous.

So With all the construction and renovation going on down there I am not sure if Oh la la cupcakery is still in Light Street Pavilion. But if it is Go grab a dozen cupcakes, and cool beverages and chill out with friends. These cupcakes to me are amazing. Last time I had them they are tasty. I might have to make a pit stop there this weekend.

Headed over to Fells Point try Maggie Moo’s Ice Cream shop over on Broadway. Forget Coldstone Creamery! This Ice Cream shop has the right stuff baby in my crappy “New Kids on the block” alto voice. Have to forewarn you they are always crowded. After dealing with the blazing heat of summer and large crowds, what is another few minutes in the line for a tasty treat is worth it.

In Mt. Washington you if you are up there to eat at Chiyo Sushi what a quick walk over to Uncle Wiggly’s Ice Cream shop. They sell the exemplary ice cream of Takara Bros. Try the Golden Graham Ice Cream or the Gravel Road both my personal favorites. Sweet, Creamy indulgent but just the right amount of texture and old-fashioned flavor.

I hope this helps and I hope you see it.

–Deaverster (unable to make Otakon this year L but will be their next year ;))

On May 31, 2012, I went out to Chiyo Sushi in Mount Washington in
Baltimore. I will be honest I am a sushi slut! I love sushi and I usually
can tell you where the best places are in the city. I can also tell you
where to stay away from. I had the honor in the summer of groupon (I am
trying to use all my groupons before the end of summer) to go to Chiyo
sushi. From first appearance it appears to be in the cut. Seriously, you
may drive by it if you miss your turn or go too fast. It’s up the street
from the Mt. Washington light rail stop, so be green and take the light rail.
When you first enter, the restaurant is very quaint and cozy. At first, you
may feel like there is not enough room, but the hostess will lead you
upstairs where they have more seats. Like most sushi restaurants, they have
two menus. One with all items, and of course a sushi menu. The sushi menu is
extensive, it has two sides with over 100 choices of rolls, either cooked or
vegetarian options. So we started the meal with green tea, my eating buddy
had iced green tea. I had the hot honey green tea, which was good with a
strong honey after taste. So we finally decided with the help of our
waitress to get the New Orleans roll, Florida roll, Kamikaze roll, Honey Nut
Shrimp roll and Ivy roll. Sidebar, I must say our waitress was nice and
bubbly and suggested the Florida Roll and Ivy Roll. Each roll was unique
too in its own right, and just made me smile after eating it. All rolls were
served on the same plate.

Here is the breakdown of taste below:

Tasty!

The Ivy roll was made up of apple, avocado, bean curd and cucumber if I
remember correctly. The apple brought out a sweetness that enhanced the
flavor of the bean curd. This was very tasty and for any vegetarian reader
out there was a delish roll to try.

Okay!

Next up was the Florida roll. Again, I forgot what was inside the roll but
it was similar to other sushi restaurants Florida roll. It was still
refreshing and delicious. The Kamakaze roll was super spicy with black
pepper tuna with avocado and tuna inside and tuna on top of the sushi roll.
The roll off the break was SPICY. If you like spicy then , this is the roll
to get. It will set your mouth on fire, but in a good way.

Amazing!

The last two rolls that were enjoyed were the Honey Nut Shrimp roll and the
New Orleans roll. Both are lightly fried outside. The honey nut shrimp had
this amazing sauce, walnuts, apple and shrimp tempura. The roll was still
delicate, with the right amount of sweetness. The cool part, the
crunchiness came from the whole roll not just the walnut. It wasn’t a
flavor explosion but more like a small symphony of savory and sweetness.
The New Orleans roll was just as good also, with crawfish, and a fried
outer shell. I do not remember all of the details, but it sort of blended
New Orleans flavor with sushi, which just made everything awesome.

In my opinion I would suggest this place for a date or a dinner with
friends. Uncle Wiggly is up the street on Forge Avenue, which serves Taharka
Brothers ice cream. The sushi was good, service was good and atmosphere
was relaxed and nice. It’s right off of the light rail and several bus stops
so one doesn’t have to worry about parking. If you are in Baltimore, and want
to try something new that’s not in the heart of the city, then jump on the light
rail and explore Mt. Washington.

This Salad reminds me of the opening scene in Family Guy episode “Grumpy Old Men”

The Family Guy Salad

So last week I had the opportunity to go to the Blue Dolphin Seafood Bar and Grill, located in Gambrills, MD on Route 3. Funny story, so this was not the first choice to go out to eat. First we were supposed to go to Jaspers in Largo. However, one of my co-workers suggested trying a different place. Turns out the second choice Fins, a Hawaiian fusion and sushi bar located in Crofton MD, was recently closed for business. So the last effort before McDonald’s or Wendy’s was searched out was the Blue Dolphin Seafood Bar and Grill, across the street. We went in and it did not seem too busy. Well it was a Tuesday night, so you would expect it to be quiet and laid back. The hostess offered a choice of where to sit either lounge side or dining room, and we chose the lounge side. Of course, Happy Hour was taking place. Everyone was dressed as they came from the office. We were quickly seated, served bread with butter, and a little while later the waiter came to take our order. First up was the Thai Shrimp Rolls. I found the shrimp rolls to be flavorless, and missing a crucial element. After examining the menu, they had a Tuesday special for Fish and Pasta. However, you can either get 1lb of shrimp for $8.95, pasta or fish and chips. I just found that to be an odd title, but did not question the wording.

My eating buddy ordered the lasagna. I proceeded to order the “House Salad” which is not on the online menu. On the online menu they have a salad called the “Blue Dolphin Family Salad” described on the menu as an unending bowl of crisp greens tossed with fresh vegetables, feta cheese, shaved parmesan cheese and house dressing. Our food came out, the lasagna looked overly cheesy. My salad came out next and the best way to describe it is the scene from Family Guy about how pizza places make salads. I was not thrilled, and I LOVE SALADS! I mean love; anyone can tell you how I annihilate a salad when we go out to eat. The olives tasted bitter, my cucumbers were bitter, and the tomatoes were flavorless. On top of that I had two of my favorite cheeses, feta and parmesan. Well the parmesan cheese was not shaved, it was the crushed stuff you get from Kraft! I mean if you can’t put fresh parmesan cheese on it, then LEAVE IT OFF!!!!! Wait for it …. Wait for it…. It had whole yellow jalapeno peppers, similar to the ones you get with your Papa John’s pizza. I was done, only thing I liked about my salad was the dressing. I did not get any breadsticks. On top of all that, the happy hour crew that was there started talking about escorts while we ate. I was hoping the dessert could have saved my experience, but alas, it didn’t. I ordered the Oreo cheesecake to go , it had a cover of chocolate ganache over top of the cheesecake. On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being the Kraft Oreo dessert and 10 being better than sex, this cheesecake was a 5. Nothing great about it but not really worth the calories I wasted eating it. I will have to hit the gym harder to prevent the fat from building up in my abs. Overall, if you want happy hour go to the Blue dolphin. If you are over the age of 55 you should go here. I will not be going back anytime soon, and if I do I will probably just have water and bread. The rolls and butter were awesome. There are some better places in the area. I have heard nothing but good things about “The Nautilus Diner and Restaurant,” if you choose to partake of culinary eating in the Gambrills/Crofton area.

Well, I have been long absent. I will break my WordPress Cherry by judging some pastries that I had at LaMill in the new 4 Seasons in downtown Baltimore.

I decided to give myself a mini- “treat yo’ self” day and eat a bunch of shit. My first stop was LaMill. Why? They have macarons, Beignets, and the kept saying to “come on down”, on Twitter, so down I came.

Food: Yummy

Service: *side eye*

Will I return: If I am feeling friendly and French

Food: When I first walked in all I smelled was fry oil. Not coffee or pastries, so I was already worried. I decided to get real fat, and I ordered Chai tea, 3 Beignets,1 huge cookie, and 1 macaron. I kept tabs on my cell phone. Before a critique the food a few pet peeves. Those chairs are crazy uncomfortable. They are made out wicker, and the front of the chair has a ledge that puts pressure on the backs of your thighs in the worse way. There were no local newspapers available to read which was disapointing. The Chai tea was perfect. It didn’t need sugar, I absolutely loved it and will compare all others to it. I don’t remember the official name of the cookie, but it was a junk cookie. Popcorn, chips, oats, chocolate chips, and whatever else. The cookie was served warm, which was a nice touch, but the popcorn gave the cookie a stale mouth feel. It tasted good. The macaron was way too sweet. It had a nice thin shell, moist middle, and good “feet”, proof of a macaron built well. The cookies themselves are always sweet, to fix that you have to tweek the filling. It was a strawberry/strawberry jam macaron. A bit of salt , basil, lemon ,or lime added to the jam would have helped the cookie a lot. The Beignets themselves were wonderful. I received 3 dipping sauces. Lemon Curd A+, Butterscotch A, and Chocolate D. Yep Chocolate gets a “D”. It barely tasted like chocolate! A thin ganache would have served better than that fudge crap.

Service: I placed my order and was sitting and reading at 11:55 a.m. There were only 4 other occupied tables. As of 12:12 I still hadn’t received a thing, not even my drink. At 12:18 I was told that my order was “on the way” If I was on a 30 minute lunch break, I would have been fucked. A few minutes later my food arrived without Beignets. Before I could state they were missing, I was asked to compensate for the wait, would I like a free order of Beignets. WHOMP! I of course stated that I had ordered Beignets, they arrived at 12:26, I was not offered further compensation.